"A-Ying?"

"Yes, sweetheart? Ah, you woke up?"

"A-Ying didn't sleep?"

Wei Wuxian, lying on his side, had been gently caressing his husband's hair while the latter had been asleep. Lan Zhan had just woken up, to find Wei Ying staring at him with a wistful smile and a faraway twinkle in his eyes. "A-Ying?"

"Nothing, A-Zhan, I'm good. I was merely watching you sleep," he grinned, kissing Lan Zhan's forehead lightly. "What woke you up?"

"Isn't it five?"

"Oh, yeah, it is."

"Why is A-Ying awake?"

"Ah, didn't fall asleep."

"But..." Lan Zhan frowned. "You did fall asleep..."

"Oh yeah, for like, ten minutes? By the time I woke up you'd already drifted off. Spent some time up at our garden checking my lotuses but came back down to check my magnolia," he chuckled, tapping Lan Zhan's nose.

"Magnolia? Oh," Lan Zhan smiled subtly realising he was talking about him. "But is A-Ying ill?"

"No, just... Nothing. A night hunt or two would do great."

Lan Zhan shot up on bed, sitting up, cross-legged, glaring grumpily at Wei Ying. "A-Ying used Plan B?"

"I..." Wei Wuxian sighed and sat up. He grasped Lan Zhan's hands in his and pouted. "Hm, why so mad? Look, using the sceptre really doesn't hurt me! Just doubles the demonic rage within me, so all I need to do," Wei Wuxian spoke in a low, soothing, singsong voice to his husband, kneading his knuckles. "Is to go on a few night hunts with my darling and kill off a couple of beasts, and I'll be better in no time! Of course I'm not going alone, now am I? Even if I do, my darling's going to come with me, right? So let's go together, hm? Remember when we slew the Nine-Tailed Fox? Let's go like that, hm?"

"On a trip?"

Wei Wuxian opened his mouth to say yes but then shut it, sulking. "Oh dear, we've got so much to do..."

"What?"

"Gege's wedding, you dimwit! Your brother's wedding!" Wei Wuxian laughed and tapped Lan Zhan's head. "Got to complete the banquet and the final ritual and send them off on the honeymoon. And then we've got Meilien to take care of... Tsk," Wei Wuxian moped. "We'll be holding the banquet tomorrow... when will we go on the night hunting?"

"We can go with Meilien?"

"Ehhhhh?" Wei Wuxian tapped his nose, slowly nodding. "Now that'll be great! Good for me and for her! A-Zhan's the best!" He grinned, flinging his arms around his neck and kissing his face all over, like how he would lick him when in beast form.

"Mn, good. Then we can go to a lake and let out your Kun Peng form, too."

"Hurray! This time, I really am taking the both of you on a ride! So? Shall we go?"

"For breakfast?"

"Yeps! Gege must be waiting. I'd bet on anything A-Cheng's here too, now that the plague's sorted. Ooh, I've got work today," Wei Wuxian rubbed his hands as he and Lan Zhan got off the bed. "Archery class with Wen Ning's batch of students, got a special lesson today. And then there's all those wards to lift, with Nie-xiong's permission. And then I've got to get the ladies and get some help with setting up the boat banquet on our Red Rose......................." And on and on, Wei Ying sat at the table and ranted about his terribly busy day. Lan Zhan was beginning to wonder if his husband was becoming busier than he was in the Lan sect. Grinning subtly, Lan Zhan nodded to everything Wei Ying said, mumbling 'Mn' or 'Good' to any pauses in the chatter, picking up the robes they had tossed away last night and fishing out fresh ones from the drawers. 

**********

"Good morning, gege! A-Yuan! Yiyi! Xiyi! Qiang-Er! A-Ning! Eh? Pfft," Wei Wuxian covered his mouth and cleared his throat before straightening up and bowing courteously. "Zewu-Jun, I see you've invited Madam Lan to the meal as well! Good morning, Madam Lan!"

Jiang Cheng bit his cheek, looking daggers at the winking Wei Wuxian before smirking. "Good morning to you too, Second Madam Lan."

"Why you!"

"Ahem," Lan Jingyi cleared his throat. "Daddy..."

"Wow, you've taken up Shifu's position to perfection, Yiyi," Wei Wuxian chuckled and sat beside his husband. While breakfast was served, Wei Wuxian leant back. "Xiyi, how's it going?"

Jin Xiyi shuffled over to him and sat between him and Lan Qiang. She smiled widely, grabbed Wei Ying's right hand and Lan Zhan's left hand and placed them on her robed tummy. Both fathers blinked and waited, confused, for about fifteen seconds until suddenly, both perked up and glanced at each other wide-eyed.

"Woah! A-Zhan, you felt that?"

"Mn!" Lan Zhan was mind blown.

"Haha, Daddy and Father look horrified," Xiyi laughed.

Lan Qiang chortled and shook her head. "Don't worry, just the baby kicking."

"KICKING?" Wei Wuxian gawked. "Babies can KICK?"

"Aish, of course, they can!" Cangse Sanren walked in and sat somewhere along the high table. "You nasty little brat kept kicking every five minutes! Couldn't stay put, just like now."

"Mama!" Wei Wuxian blushed while all the Lans laughed. Cloud Recesses was turning into a gentler, more welcome place to them all with Jin Xiyi and Cangse Sanren here. Though of course, all this laughter and light-heartedness was only reserved for mealtimes. "A-Zhan, you knew of such a thing?"

Lan Zhan shook his head. "I remember seeing Qiang-Er's mother help other expectant aunties but never got to feel this." He smiled like the proud father he was, patting Xiyi's shoulder.

"Baozhai's the only one I've known anyway, but no, same with me. Xiyi, thanks for this," Wei Wuxian couldn't help but smile warmly.

"Daddy's my father, of course I have to share! Fellow keeps kicking every few hours, though," Xiyi sighed.

"No wonder, after all, he or she is Lan Jingyi's child..."

"DADDY!" Jingyi puffed up his cheeks in indignation.

"To think the stern and cold Cloud Recesses had turned into a place nearly as open and warm as my Lotus Pier!" Jiang Cheng wondered.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Lan Xichen smiled, clasping his hand under the table. "Wuxian-di and his family's changing the place."

"Lan Wangji and Sizhui better do something about it or the icy pride of Lans will be gone," Jiang Cheng laughed and dived into his food with a slight sulk. All the world around Cloud Recesses could change, but its food wouldn't, he sighed.

No sooner had he thought that, a bottle was passed from Wei Wuxian's end of the table, through Lan Wangji, Lan Qiang, Wen Ning, Lan Sizhui, Lan Jingyi, Jin Xiyi, Lan Xichen to him, banged down in front of his plate. He looked up to grin childishly at a huge jar of chilli sauce. "Thanks, A-Xian!" He called out knowing well enough whose it was and poured it over the spinach and cabbage, before diving in gladly.

Lan Xichen made a mental note to ask his little brother where he got his chilli sauce stocks from. 

**********

"CHEERS!" Nie Huaisang clapped as he slammed his jar of Emperor's Smile with Wei Wuxian's, downing it happily. "Hey, Crown Prince should have a drink, too, come on!"

Xie Lian blushed. "Ah? But..."

"Aish, come on, Xie Lian," Wei Wuxian thrust a jar into his hands and clanged his own with it. "Go on!"

Xie Lian sighed, gave an apologetic smile to Hua Cheng seated at the other side of the boat, and gulped down his wine. "Mmm! Emperor's Smile's amazing as always!"

"Have this," Jiang Cheng shoved a violet jar onto the table. "Tell me which is better," he crossed his arms with a wink to Wei Wuxian.

Xie Lian took a sip from the purple pot and his eyelids rolled up in wonder. "WOAH! That's so delicious! What is this? Got a tinge of lotus syrup taste... Eh, Sect Leader Jiang, is this your sect's thing?"

Jiang Cheng nodded. "Sure is, Crown Prince. Lotus Lure." 

"Woah, it's so much sweeter and spicier at the same time! Beats the Emperor's Smile!" 

"Ha! TOLD YA SO!" Jiang Cheng tossed his head backwards and pulled his tongue at Lan Xichen.

Who simply shrugged acquiescently.

"Each wine has its own special qualities that renders it unique and better than the others. Which means every wine's the best," Nie Huaisang mumbled while he swirled his jar.

"And you only get philosophical when you're drunk," Chen Xuanji shouted from the other table.

Today's banquet was simple. No clans, no sects, no nothing. Just the gang of friends. Wei Wuxian, Nie Huaisang, Jiang Cheng, Xie Lian, Jiang Baozhai and Jin Ling at one table, which Xuanji preferred to call 'the Drunkards' Table'. 

Xuanji herself, Lan Wangji, Lan Xichen, Hua Cheng, Jiang Qiao and Lan Sizhui were seated at another long table on the opposite edge of the boat, feasting on roasted meat and desserts.

This time, Hua Cheng and Xie Lian had been invited by Wei Wuxian as per a personal invite from Jiang Cheng: to thank for them for helping out with the chaotic Immortal duo all the time. Also because there were no outsiders here who weren't aware of their friendship with the Ghost King. 

Jin Ling and Lan Sizhui were the closest of the juniors to Jiang Cheng, and Lan Sizhui was close to Lan Xichen, so here they were, too, happily chatting with the elders because in truth — excluding the Ghost King, Heavenly God, and two Immortals — junior or senior or not, all of them were equally talented right now, neither inferior to the other. Lan Xichen was secretly happy. Before, other than Nie Mingjue and his brother, he had had no match. And now, they were almost all at his level. From Jin Ling to Jiang Cheng. Amazing, he smiled inwardly.

"Okay, a toast," Xie Lian announced and rose to his feet, raising a jar of Lotus Lure in the air. "To the wedding couple, wishing for their love to soar as high as the clouds and the Heavenly Realm above it!"

Nie Huaisang also rose. "To shine as bright as the stars that light up the night!"

Wei Wuxian smiled and stood with them. "To live on forever, as never-ending as Time itself!"

"May your red string of fate hold on for evermore!" Hua Cheng shouted, glass of water in the air.

"Grow wrinkly and old together!" Jin Ling laughed heartily.

"OI!" Jiang Cheng threw a spoon at him.

"AND CHEERS!" Jiang Baozhai nodded with resolve. "For showing this stupid world, for proving the Jiangs' Love Curse wrong!"

"HURRAY!" Those at the other table clapped along to that, Sizhui jumping up with glee.

"Well then, let the last toast for the day be a toast to the one thing that made it all come out into the open!" Wei Wuxian cheered.

"What's that?" Xie Lian leant in.

"That," Wei Wuxian pointed to the necklace barely hidden under Lan Xichen's robes.

"Nice!"

"Toast to the Lotus Heart!" Wei Ying punched the air.

"TOAST TO THE LOTUS HEART!" The rest rooted loudly. Jiang Cheng turned to see his new husband and gulped when he saw Lan Xichen beaming at him. He smiled back with a nod.

"Now off you go! Shoo, shoo!" Nie Huaisang and Wei Wuxian pulled Jiang Cheng up and onto the deck. 

Chen Xuanji and Lan Sizhui grabbed Xichen's wrists and pulled him onto the deck too. "Run along now, show's over," Xuanji called to them.

Both looked at each other. Jiang Cheng gulped again, not knowing what to do. Lan Xichen grinned cheekily before gripping his hand and sprinting across Lotus Pier to Sect Leader Jiang's room. Of course, they went straight to the private courtyard behind it because it had a beautiful scenery. 

And also, of course, neither of them expected to find what they saw there.

Bottles and bottles of Emperor's Smile, Lotus Lure, Lavender Lust, Beast's Wrath, and Stardust, all of it were piled up along one wall of the courtyard. The other walls had beautiful clothes draped over them, sparkling with lavender and turquoise intertwining, blending, forming large phoenixes and dragons that soared across rose skies. And over their heads... was indeed a breathtaking spectacle.

All around them were bright strawberry pink lanterns cut out in the shape of lotuses and freesias. Lotuses all over the pond and freesias dangling from the treetops, dancing in the breeze. Seeing one perfectly pretty lantern drifting towards the walls of the pond, Lan Xichen bent down and tipped the petal of the lotus away. 

"Definitely A-Xian," Jiang Cheng muttered.

"Absolutely," Lan Xichen nodded. "Banners are by your Jiang sisters, but the lanterns are definitely Wuxian-di and Wangji. But these?" Lan Xichen gasped as he reached out his hand.

Hundreds of sparkling silver butterflies flapped and tinkled in the air, fluttering across the garden, not leaving it, staying there, surrounding the just-married lovers.

"Ah, that's Hua Cheng," Jiang Cheng smiled happily. "All our friends came up with this? When?"

"You stayed at my place yesterday and last night; they must have done this yesterday."

"Ah, right," Jiang Cheng nodded.

For the moment, all thoughts of 'other stuff' had flown away. They sat on the grass, lying down, side by side, staring up at the decorations and the butterflies. Lan Xichen couldn't help but laugh when a butterfly landed on Jiang Cheng's nose.

"WHAT are you laughing at?"

"Hahahahahaha! Nothing, nothing, you looked cute that way! Hahahahahaha!"

"Oh yeah?" Jiang Cheng rolled over and the two began their own wrestling match on the grass, smiling as more and more butterflies wrapped up the robes tossed clean away. The silence around them, with nothing but the flapping of the banners and the lanterns and the butterfly wings, was so soothing that they decided to stay here for another entire day. The first day of the honeymoon would be at their uniquely mesmerising garden. Only later will they head for their hike.

Rolling around on the grass, chuckling, teasing, never had either of them felt this happy. Nor this relieved. What Jiang Baozhai had said made their hearts inflate with satisfaction. True, they really had proven the so-called inherited curse wrong.

Or had they?

None but Time will tell.